Your Connection to the Spokane Valley City Council

This Council meeting opened with proclamations observing Fire Prevention Week and Source Water Protection Week. It was also noted in Council comments that the City had once again received a “clean” audit of its financial status and procedures. In the words of the Audit Supervisor, it was “an extremely clean audit.” Kudos to our financial department for continuing the succession of exemplary audits.

The state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) allows the City to consider amendments to its Comprehensive Plan once each year. Applications must be received by October 30th to be placed on the docket for Council consideration. That docket consists of four items:
1.  CPA-2021-0001, 22 N. Skipworth, Lindsey Goodman, owner, changes .68 acres  from Multi-Family to Corridor Mixed Use
2.  CPA-2021-0002, Balfour Park, City owned, changes 5.56 acres from Corridor Mixed   
     Use to Parks, Recreation & Open Space
3.  CPA-2021-0003, Flora Property (City owned, newly acquired), changes 46 acres
     from Industrial to Parks/Recreation & Open Space
4.  CPA-2021-0004, Applied Citywide, adds policies regarding homelessness goals &
     strategies to homeless housing

After a public hearing on July 8th, the Planning Commission voted to forward CPA-21-0001 (6-1) and CPAs 21-0002, 0003, and 0004 (7-0) to Council for a First Reading. Motion to move proposed Ordinance 21-014 encompassing all four CPAs to Second Reading passed unanimously.
That action was followed by deliberation on the First Reading of proposed Ordinance 21-015 adopting the map changes accompanying the Comprehensive Plan amendments in proposed Ordinance 21-014. Motion to move Ordinance 21-014 to Second Reading passed unanimously.

The owner of Derek Apartments, LLC. Has requested the vacation of a section of street 32’ by 237’ along the south side of Appleway Avenue. The proposed vacation lies approximately 526 feet east of the intersection of Appleway Avenue and Farr Road. The requested area is unimproved right of way, encompassing approximately 7,584 square feet. A public hearing is required, and Resolution 21-007 sets the date for that hearing. Motion to approve Resolution 21-007 setting the date for public hearing on the proposed street vacation passed unanimously.

In 2018, the City applied for various grants to reconstruct the Barker Corridor and provide a multi-use path from the Spokane River to the limits of the Barker Road/BNSF Rail Crossing Project. The project is phased into segments which staff described together with the need for phasing and phase timing. The phase considered for construction this evening includes the multi-use path from the river to Euclid Avenue (east).

The City has improved Barker Road from Spokane River to Euclid (east) and from Euclid (west) to the limits of the Barker/BNSF project. The project still needs to construct the multi-use path from the Spokane River to Trent and improve the intersection of Euclid and Barker Road with the Union Pacific Railroad. The railroad has encountered delays which has in turn delayed the City’s completion of the project.

The City advertised this phase in August and opened bids on September 10th. Six bids were received with Barcott Construction LLC submitting the lowest bid at $301,966.00. The Engineer’s Estimate for the project was $326,246.00.

Motion to award the Barker Road Widening Project CIP#313-Phase 1 to Barcott Construction LLC in the amount of $301,996.00 including sales tax passed unanimously.
As the year winds down, Council coalesces its thoughts on what it hopes to accomplish in the forthcoming state legislative session. The 2022 agenda looks like this:
• A renewed request for state assistance for the Pines Rail Crossing
• Sensible state procurement laws
• Voicing continued commitment to defending local control
• Protecting state-shared revenues
• Requesting changes to municipal utility tax authority
• Return of sensibility to law enforcement issues
• Advocating for needed changes to the Growth Management Act regarding local
   flexibility

While this was only a discussion, it highlights needed changes to maintain local autonomy. Staff will return on October 12th with an administrative report. Final adoption is slated for November 16th.
City Hall is open for business. Masks must be worn in the building. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. Public participation on action items or public comment periods can be in person or via ZOOM. Call 509-720-5000 or www.spokanevalley.org prior to 4:00 p.m. for access instructions.

After opening with a proclamation proclaiming this week as Constitution Week, this Formal Council Meeting moved to a public hearing on Budget Revenues. The presentation preceding the hearing was a detailed assessment of funding sources and applications. To summarize: General Fund recurring revenue is estimated to be $51,997,700, an increase of 6.80% over the 2021 amended budget of $48,689,219. Recurring expenditures are estimated to be $48,194,350, an increase of 7.16% over the amended 2021 budget’s $44,972,827. The number of employees will increase from 96.25 to 100.25. The City will once again forgo the automatic 1% property tax increase. A more detailed breakdown of the presentation can be found at https://spokanevalley.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=3&event_id=519&meta_id=65565. 

This was the first of three hearings on various components of the budget which, in its entirety, will have been discussed eight times prior to its adoption on November 8th. There were no public comments.

Last week Council moved the Complete Streets Ordinance 21-012 to a Second Reading. The ‘Complete Streets’ program requires an ordinance that formally recognizes the City’s commitment to provide safe, practical, and equitable transportation improvements for all its users. It also serves as a tool to enhance eligibility for state and federal funding programs that enable the City to expand its capabilities for improving its transportation facilities. The ordinance requires that the City consider but not necessarily implement complete street elements in all its road projects. The motion to approve Ordinance 21-012 passed unanimously.

Having adopted Ordinance 21-012, the City is in a position to apply for Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) grants. Those grants are nominated by organizations from a TIB approved list based on quality and content of its Complete Street Ordinance. The TIB list includes the Departments of Archeology and Historical Preservation, Transportation, Health, and Commerce. Non-Profit Organizations are Feet First, Cascade Bicycle Club, Community Transportation Association NW, and Futurewise. The motion to authorize application for the CIB Complete Streets funding through its approved nominating agencies passed unanimously.
The traffic signal at the Park Road and Mission Avenue intersection has, through wear and damage, become a hazard. After research and recommendation from the City Engineer, the signal light will be removed and replaced by a four-way flashing beacon stop. Motion to approve the change was approved unanimously.

In 2015, the City hired Community Attributes, Inc. (CAI) to develop a retail improvement strategy and action plan to improve the visibility and appeal of its retail offerings. In 2016, the City updated its comprehensive plan and development regulations to incorporate strategies and actions identified in that study. Those included increased flexibility for retailers, increased residential density along commercial corridors, and new opportunities for neighborhood commercial locations.

To further implement the plan, the City engaged Retail Strategies, a retail recruiter, to attract businesses, research trade area incentives, represent the City at International Council of Shopping Center conferences and develop relationships with retailers, brokers, developers, and key industry contacts on behalf of the City. Representatives of Retail Strategies updated Council on progress made in those areas as well as recovery efforts from COVID.

Earlier this summer two police officers, normally assigned to school activity, were designated as bicycle patrol officers. They covered hard to patrol areas such as Appleway Trail, Centennial Trail, Balfour Park, and Sullivan Park. In that coverage they worked with the City’s homeless outreach efforts to increase interaction and engagement with more personal attention. 

In so doing, they confronted 210 illegal ‘campers’ referring 133 of them to constructive services. They also worked with numerous businesses facing trespassing/homeless challenges providing increased citizen safety. The officers have returned to their school assignments since classes have once again commenced but the bicycle patrol has proved popular and useful. Should future staffing permit, that patrol could become a permanent assignment. 

City Hall is open for business. Under the Governor’s latest edict, masks must be worn in the building. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. Public participation on action items or public comment periods can be in person or via ZOOM. Call 509-720-5000 or www.spokanevalley.org prior to 4:00 p.m. for access instructions.

Study Sessions are for Council to hear reports on items that will be requiring action. However, this meeting agenda contained five action items needing immediate leading with Ordinance 21-011 which corrects an error in Ordinance 18-004 passed in 2018 clarifying what constitutes a ‘legal lot’ in the City of Spokane Valley and adds language to allow development of a non-legal lot by an “innocent purchaser.” The error, occurring in the transposition of copy from the actual act passed by Council to the print version of the ordinance in City records appear to inappropriately grant the owner of a non-legal lot the right to develop that lot without meeting City requirements. Rules were suspended as Council unanimously took immediate action to remedy the situation.
At its last meeting, Council instructed staff to bring forward an ordinance creating a Complete Streets program. Ordinance 21-012 accomplishes that. The ‘Complete Streets’ program requires an ordinance that formally recognizes the City’s commitment to provide safe, practical, and equitable transportation improvements for all its users. It also serves as a tool to enhance eligibility for state and federal funding programs that enable the City to expand its capabilities for improving its transportation facilities. The requirements in an ordinance are that the City consider but not necessarily implement complete street elements in all its road projects.

Motion to move Ordinance 21-012 to a Second Reading was approved unanimously.

In its last session, the State Legislature passed a bill (HB 1220) regarding affordable housing and homelessness. The bill preempts cities from prohibiting transitional housing and permanent supportive housing in any residential zones or zones where hotels are permitted effectively removing local control of where homeless people can be placed.

The City’s only recourse was to move quickly to create regulations governing where and how such housing is to fit in Spokane Valley. The effective date of HB 1220 is July 25th, which is why Emergency Ordinance No. 21-009 adopting temporary interim regulations for reasonable occupancy, spacing, and intensity limits on transitional, permanent supportive and emergency housing, and emergency shelters was presented as an emergency measure. Ordinance 21-009 passed unanimously.

A public hearing after passage of the ordinance was a requirement for ascertaining findings of fact supporting passage of Ordinance 21-009. That public hearing having been held, Ordinance 21-013 approves the findings of fact supporting adoption of Ordinance 21-009. A motion to suspend the rules and adopt Ordinance 21-013 passed unanimously.

On June 1st, 2021, Council approved Resolution 20-001 adopting its Housing Action Plan. The plan provides strategies and implementing action encouraging the construction of additional affordable housing to minimize and reduce displacement of low-income residents.

At its August 24th meeting, Council reached consensus for staff to prepare a motion consideration authorizing the City Manager to apply for a Homeless Housing Assistance Act (HHAA) grant to support one full time employee for street outreach purposes and 50% of the funds needed to support a deputy dedicated to addressing homeless cases. The total request is $180,000 ($100,000 for the full-time employee and $80,000 for the 50% dedicated police officer). The application deadline is September 10th. Motion to authorize the City Manager to make the application passed unanimously.

Negotiations to achieve a collective bargaining agreement with the Washington State Council of County and City Employees, Local 270V, AFSCME Union have been concluded. Union members voted to approve the agreement on September 2nd. Motion to ratify the Collective Bargaining Agreement effective January 1, 2022-December 31, 2024, was unanimously approved by Council.

The state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) allows the City to consider amendments to its Comprehensive Plan once each year. Applications received by October 30th were placed on the docket for Council consideration. The docket presented for adoption consists of four items:
1. CPA-2021-0001, 22 N. Skipworth, Lindsey Goodman, owner, changes .68 acres from Multi-Family to Corridor Mixed Use
2. CPA-2021-0002, Balfour Park, City owned, changes 5.56 acres from Corridor Mixed Use to Parks, Recreation & Open Space
3. CPA-2021-0003, Flora Property (City owned, newly acquired), changes 46 acres from Industrial to Parks/Recreation & Open Space
4. CPA-2021-0004, Applied Citywide, adds policies regarding homelessness goals & strategies to homeless housing

After a public hearing, the Planning Commission voted to forward CPA-21-0001 (6-1) and CPAs 21-0002, 0003, and 0004 (7-0) to Council for consideration. Council reached consensus to advance them to a First Reading.

Council was updated on the efforts of the City’s Streets Sustainability Committee (CSSC) which was created to help inform the public on outreach efforts relating to the long-term goals of the City’s Pavement Management Program. These websites: www.spokanevalley.org/pmp & www.spokanevalley.org/streetcommittee present information on the progress made by the CSSC. A public survey is also available on www.spokanevalley.org.

A proposed Resolution No. 21-006 would take care of administrative updating to the City’s petty cash policy. It would replace Resolutions 08-024 and 11-001 bringing the policy into audit compliance.

Under the newly enacted American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the City has received $8 million of $16 million allotted to the City from a Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. The next $8 million payment is scheduled for the summer of 2022. Staff is preparing a list of priorities for Council’s consideration.
City Hall is open for business. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. Public participation on action items or public comment periods can be in person or via ZOOM. Call 509-720-5000 or www.spokanevalley.org prior to 4:00 p.m. for access instructions.

View Past Spokane Valley City Council Highlights